A former Republican Derby alderman was sentenced to prison for entering the U.S. Capitol during the January 6 riots, then pardoned by President Trump before he served a day of his sentence
Trump erased the convictions of more than 1,500 January 6 defendants on his first day back in the White House
The Connecticut defendant had run unsuccessfully for Derby mayor just months before his sentencing
A former Connecticut Republican official who entered the U.S. Capitol during the January 6, 2021 riots was sentenced to prison in 2024, then pardoned by President Trump before he served a day of his sentence.
Gino DiGiovanni Jr., a former alderman in Derby who had lost a Republican mayoral race in November 2023, was sentenced to 10 days in federal prison in April 2024 for entering the Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, according to the Connecticut Mirror. DiGiovanni had attended Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally that morning before making his way into the building, where he remained for roughly 13 minutes, the Mirror reported.
Prosecutors had recommended 30 days. Chief U.S. District Judge James Boasberg sentenced DiGiovanni on April 24 to 10 days at the federal correctional facility in Danbury, followed by 12 months of supervised release, $500 in restitution and 50 hours of community service, the Mirror reported.
At sentencing, DiGiovanni said he had accepted responsibility from the start. “From Day One, I’ve accepted responsibility for my actions,” he told the court, according to the Mirror. “I’m truly sorry for my actions that day.”
Boasberg said he was sympathetic but believed jail time was appropriate given that DiGiovanni had held elected office, the Mirror reported.
Online sleuths tracking January 6 defendants had identified DiGiovanni in fall 2022 and alerted NBC Connecticut. Footage showed him wearing a jacket bearing the name of his construction company. When reporters confronted him, he confirmed he had been inside the building.
He never reported to Danbury. On Jan. 20, 2025, his first day back in office, President Trump granted blanket clemency to more than 1,500 people who had been convicted of or were awaiting trial for January 6-related offenses, according to NPR. DiGiovanni was among them.
The pardons closed the legal cases. They did not close the record.
By Kevin Coughlin
